Circular-knitting machine



Feb. 8, 1,927.

www.

- 1,616,744 F. L. FAY

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed Dec. s, 19h24 Nil 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 eb 1 7' F. L. FAY

Y `CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE sued-Dec. s, 1924 4 sheets-sheet 2 Feb. 8,1927.A

4F. L. FAY

' CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINEv t vFiled Dec. s, 1924` 4 sheets-sheer Feb. s, 1927.

F. L. FAY

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed Deo. 3, 1924 Arrow/SYS.

Patented Feb. 8, 192'?.

Ni'r s .S-

rnnnniarcx L. FAY, l or MARSHALLKTO'N, iniitauvAany` Assienon To .-sTaNDAnn- TRUMP ,BROTHERS MACHINE COMPANY, or wiLMrNe'roN, :oianaiuinn7V A con- ?ORATION 0F DELAWARE.

CIRCULAR-Knrrmine narrante.

Vi'lppleaton filed December 3, 1924.v Serial No. 753,572.l

rlhe object` of my invention is to provide a machine for knitting circular fashioned providing two stationary vbanks of needlesa-front bank and a rear bank, l or an outer bank and an innery bank-arranged arcuately and concentrically; and two cam cyl,` .inders similarly arranged, rotating in oppo-`v I site directions, one-an inner cylinder-- carryinof cams for actuating the inner bank of needles, and the votheran outer cylinder-carryingV cams for actuating'tlie outer bank of needles. The vcams are positioned so of needles has knit a course of stitches, thel chine.

that only one ba-nk ofneedles isbeing operated at a time, and so that, When one bank yarn is transferred from vthelast needle of such bank 'to one of the approximately lopposite needles of the other' bank, on which yanother courseof stitches is knit.V in the verse direction. These' two courses of stitches, taken together, comprise one complete circumferential courseA ofi knitting.`

The yarn Y-is then' transferred tothe first Vneedle of the first bank, on which another course ofstitches is knit, which course is, inl effect, a continuation ofthepreceding course.

Thereby there is formed a succession ofcir or, morev cumferential courses of. knitting;

'accurately expressed, one long spiral course, as in any ordinaryjcircular knittingl ma- To effect the fashioning of the fabric, needles at or near opposite ends of thetwo banks are moved into action and the thread l' is transferred from the last active needle of one bank to anY approximately opposite theretofore inactive needle of the 'other bank,

vwhereby the diameter of the circular fabric is increased a length equal to that of aV stitch. By successively4 moving into action approxi- .p mately opposite needles of Vthe two banks, the diameter of the circular fabric is gradually increased-that is, the 'circular 4fabricV is fashioned-until any desired maximum 'di- Vaineter isbeing knitted.' v

It will be understood`that,in the art of flat knitting machines, as Well asin the art` of rotary-reciprocatory circular knitting'- inachines, there ,are various specific modes of gradually Widen the fabric. Any of the knownmethods. of adding needles may be utilized inl carrying out my invention.

It is preferred to arrange a ,lnuinber of Y p V adding needles, lone at' a time, -in order tov double banks of needles around a, circum-V, ference and to provide as iii-any knittingV cams on each cam cylinder asA thereare double, banks of needles;` each knitting cam of the inner cam cylinder engagingandactuating, in its rotation, successively all the inner banks of needles, and each knit-ting camof the outer cam cylinder engaging and actuating, in its rotation inthe opposite direction,

successively all -the outer banks of needles.

v'The double banks of needles should be spaced apart a distanceat leastequal to the length ofa complete bankofneedles, so' that it Willjbel possible to complete a course kof stitches on one bank of needles simultaneously With, o-r before, the beginningof a vcourse of stitches on the 1other bank. f

The advantages of 'producingl a circular fashioned fabric on a` circular machine are,- of course, obvious; especially Where the fash,

ionin'g is laccomplished `Without anyfinterwi. i ruption ofthe continuous rotaryrmovement of the rotatable elements. l.

It isy also obviously Vadvantageous toy be able to rsimultaneously'knit a plurality of Webs. If eight double banks of needles are` operated by cams ha-ving'one-eighthof the angular speed of rotation common to that yin ,an ordinary circular machine,and aV circum ferentialspeed equal to that Von Van o rdinary circular machine, theV production jWill be eight timesthat of an o rdinary'circi'ila'rmachine; or the circumferential speed of` the v'cams may be advantageously reduced and the machine will still have multiple-times the production of an ordinary circular machine.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevation ofthemachine part-l lyinsection. v- FigQis van enlarged plan view, with the yarn 'spools and yarntension devicesre-jy move'd.'`

Fig. 3 is y the machine,

still further enlarged radial Y i section through the V r'ziroumiierentia-l. partof U Fig. ".4 is a Vdetail'yievv of, the mechanism Vio for moving the needles successively into action to effect a gradual increase in diameter of the fabric.

. Fig. 5 is an end view of the same mechaiiisin together with a radial section, similar to Fig. V3, through the knitting cylinders andV gitudinal reciprocating knitting movement is effected by knittingcains 8O on the outer rotating cam cylinder 8. Sinkers 61 are provided, one for eachV needle. These sinkers are pivoted on the knitting cylinder and are provided with projections engaging a cam groove formed between the upper end 0f the cani cylinder 8 and flanged plates 81 secured tothe cam cylinder'.

The inner stationary needlev cylinder 7 carries in the saine way needles operable by knitting cams 90 on the inner rotating cani cylinder, and' sinkers 71 operable by a cam groove formed between the upper endof the cam cylinder 9 and flanged plates 91 secured thereto. n

There are any desired number (eight Vare shown) of double banks 'of needles 60 and 70. On Fig. 2, these double banks ofy needles are lettered a, I), c, CZ, e, f, g` and 7L. rEhe two cam cylinders 8 and 9 are continuously rotated in opposite directions by the following mecha-msm, shown in Figs. 1 and 2:

On a driving shaftll issecured the usual fixed pulley 12 and'loose pulley 13 and a bevel pinion 14 which engages a bevel pinion 115, whose shaft turns on a bracket 63 securedV to the frame of the machine. The shaft of pinion 15 carries a spur pinion 16,

'which engages a gear or rack 32carried by thevrotatable cam cylinder 8, wherebytlie latter is continuously rotated.

On the driving shaft 11 is secured a bevel pinion 17, engaging a bevel pinion 18, whose shaft turns in a bracket 73 secured to -the frame vof the machine. The shaft of pinion 18carries a spur pinion 19, which engages a gear or rack 92 carried by the rotatable cam cylinder 9, whereby the Vlatter ,continuously rotated. f

1 Certain ofthe needlesAO are movable into and out of action by means ofvneedle le-V vers 64 (see Fig. 3), which are operated by cam rings 65v (see Figs-3V and 6)'circumfer-V entially shiftable onl the machine frame.

rl`he purpose of so movingthe needles into and out of action and the mechanism for so doing is hereinafter described. Similarly, certain of the needles 70 are movable into and out of action by means of' needle levers 7a operable by cam rings 75` on the machine frame.

rilbe needle cylinders G and 7 are mounted on the nia-in frame 2() of the machine (see F 1), on whichis also mounted centrally,

a post 21 carrying the yai'nspools 22 and a vframe 23Y coniprisinga number of radial arms (see also Figs. 2 and 3), each carrying a yarn feed 211- adjacent the needle hooks and a yarn tension device 25. rthe frame 23 is oscillatable back and' forth, for a distance about equal to the length of one of the double needle banks a, etc., by the following mechanism.

A drinn 27 (see Fi'g.r2.) .turning in bearn inOs on the frame 20, is operable from the driving shaft 11by means of a train of gears 26. A bar 28 connecting two adjacent arms of the frame 23 has a pin engaging a spiral grooveY 29 on the drum 27. The

grooveV 29 is so shaped that, in the rotation of the drum, it imparts the described oscillatory movement to the frame 23. y

in knitting circular webs of unifoiin di; aineter, the operation of they machine is as follows: g f n Yarn is simultaneously feeding `to the needles of all the eight banks' of needles, a, Zi, c, al, 6, f, etc. Assume that yarn is being fed to the first needle of each of kthe outerv banks of needles- 60. s As the outer cam cylinder 8 rotates, tlie'knitting cams 80 carried thereby successively move the needles GOinto and out ofv action until all the needles`60 have so operated, whereby there is formed, by each outer bank of needles 60, a course of stitches of a length equal Vto one-half the circumference of the circular web to be knitted. At the same time the yarn-feed frame V23 has ino-ved along with llO the cam cylinder 80 in the saine direction.

Vof needles, vand while travelingover this open .space are ineffective `to actuate any needles.

During the described rotation in one direction of the cani cylinder 3, the cainl cyl-V inder 9Ais rotating in tlieopposite direction; and when the'las't needle 60 of each bank has been actuated, the cams 90 begin to ac tuate the needles 70 of the inner banks of needles; the yarn passing from the last needle of each outer bank of needlest() to the first needle of each inner bank of needles 70;k it being understood that the tir-ist"7 needle ofV each outer bank is approximately opjpvosite the last needle of each inner bank.

The cams 90 successively move the needles 70 into and out offactionuntil all the neei dlesO have been so operated, whereby there Vis formed, by each inner bank ofY needles, a `course of stitches of a lengtliequal to one- Vhalf the vcircumference ofthe circular web to l be knitted. Together with'l the half course previously Vfoi-ined on needles 60, ythe half course `formed on theV needles 7D of the same double Vbank completes one vcomplete circumferential coui'se of stitches.v During l the operation of needles 70, the yarn feed speed;

v the banks.

frame 23 has movedl in the reverse direction to that previously describedgthat is, it'has jm'oved along with the cam cylinder 90 in the same directionand at theV same rate of The spaces between doublefbanksof. needles are, preferably, equaljto the lengths of It will, therefore, be understood that while the outerneedles 60 of the'double .ting of the -other half of a c banks are being actuatedv by the knitting cams 80, the knitting cams 90 are traveling across -the spaces between double needle banksyvtliat when the inner needlesO of the double banks are being operated by the knittingcams 90, the knitting cams 80.,are

`traveling across the spaces between double Yneedle banks;and=1tliat, therefore,` as soon asa halfcourse'ofknittingV has been completed by the needles of one bank, theknitourse begins oii the'needles Yof the"4 other banks Therefore, infone complete rotation in opposite direc tions l,ofthe caincy-linders, "there are knit eight complete circumferential coursesof as many different webs. a l e y Y `V'The inodegoffoperation of the mechanism for producing -ak circular knitted web', having been described, Iv will now" proceed to 'de' scribe vthe `niec'hanisn'ifor widening the fabric' so as Vto "producen` `r circular web ofl gradually increasing diameter; in other vwords, the Yfasljiioning mechanism. Y

' I have hereinbefore referred-tothe needieV levers 64 vand 74,vwhich(seeligl 3) are Voperable by 'cam rings (fand 7 5 respectively to V`movetheir corresponding.needles and v'V respectively into"` acti-on." In fforder 'to fashion the web, it is necessary tosinoveV intoY action'one or more needlesv atfor close to" the end of one bank'and one voipmore approxi'-v .a mating' needles 'atoi" close" to the end of the 1 feo `inginto' action` approximately opposite nee*A vielles of Vthe ktwoba'nks untilit'he fabric has 'Lb'eeni increased in` diameter 'to the extent 'abrupt or other bank; to then, in the next course, or

in: one of `the vsucceedingv courses dependent. on whether-the increase in diameter is'to beV gradual) y'z'igain "move into yaction a Vneedle A or. .needles of f each bank, i and -to continueitliis operation,ofsuccessively movdesire'r'l'-1`rl in Fig; 3,1' have shown a needle vSonet .,thegoiiterj bank outfof operative posi` '42 is pivoted `on this shaft.

swings it on its .mail 41, its' Serine"- vthe position shoyvnji'n ment with Ithe ratcfh'et'ff, softhat, at jtlieneXt tion k(that'is, outlof'operative relation with i one-ofthe knitting cam while afneedle 70 of the inner'bank is shown in operative position in engagement with one ofl the "knitting camsQO. 'The mechanism for thus vsuccessively moving into action theneedles of one banlr`(say the inner bank) is shown in detailin Figs. 4,v 5, and 6.` 1 f On va pattern shaft `30 are twofvsprockets 31 andv 32 'carrying' respectively pattern chains and 34.` Pivotedon the pattern shaft 30 is a lever 87 engagingna ratchet wheel 35 secured to the shaft Y30.` vThelever` 37 has on its end a roller 38 engagea-ble by a ycamj39 on the camV cylinder y8. There may be'one or two or vfour, or eight ycams 39; Vbut assuming that there vis one, then, Vonce duringeachrotation of the cam cylinder, the lever 37 is'. `swung on its pivot tocausethe pawl l3o to Y 'engage the ratchet 85 and turn the shaft 30A and the sprockets Bland 82 Vthereon toadvance ea-chof the pattern chains 33 and 34 a distance of ,(say) one'link.

edly Y secured` a lever 40;',

l shifting pawl 4l is pivotedjon,thelever 40 these pawls engages a ratchet 43 on the neebeswung out ofV engagement with'the ratchet by tli'elugs on one ternV chains.v a Y e i Thefree end of a lever' 45', valso secured to the vertical shaft, has a. cam face which is'in line of'movement of a cam 44, ontlievcam cylinder 8., having a 'similarly inclinedface.

- 'lVhen the `parts are'inV the position shown;

carrying a pawl 36 Secured to the machine frame is av bracket 66 carrying a vertical shaft to which is iX-.

A hold-ing pawl between the lattervs pivot and*` its Vfree end. Each of l .die-actuatingcainring65 'andwis adapted to l or: the other of the' patinfFig-f4, at erichrotation `of thecam'cylv iinderB,v the cani 44 strikes ,the leverj45, Y

pivot -and advances thepawl 41'` the distance requiredto push the ratchet 4? forward and Vturn thecam ring. 65 the distance requiredto moveintol action one of the needles v60,- Duringrthe lknitting off"v l that `part'of the fabricgwhich is of miriimum diameter, a series "ofjflugs `on thepattei'n chain travels under vthe ofgpawl V 41 while, at each rojhitsV and :swings the y lever Fig4', or into engagerand retains the pawliout of engagement -ifvith' the rack y43,';"the"jcam ring 65 beingffthen iii:A position "to'hold -all the needleleverst in -position'ito hold'the corresponding needles "60 out ofpositioii tol be engaged by thefknit-v 1.71 ting cams 80. Therefore,

Cil

ill)

i' to shift the ca '4t2 is; pivoted.

ingl movement ot Yori engagement otcam 44. with the lever 45, the paivl lll, in advancing aA .distance of one tooth, advances the kcam ring` 65; the holdino' pan/'l 42 clicking Vover one of the teeth ot the ratchet #hl and engaging the rear of suchy tooth and holding' the cam ringy from slipping back. ring causes it to swing the needle levers 64; controlling the end needles G o' the several outer banks ol' needles into such position that these needles are moved vinto operative relation with the` knittingcan'is 80. I vThe operation is repeated ateach rotation ot the cam cylinder S until all oic the needles that are provided with needle levers are successivelym ved into position to be operated by the knitting cams 80. During. the repetition ot' this operation, the cylindrical fabric is being gradually widened until, when the last lever-controlled needle 60' is moved into knitting position, a cylindrical fabric is being knit ol mi :imum diameter.

The' inner cam ing 5 is directly connected ivith cam ring by one or more crosshars 50,. whereby the inner ring and the needlelevers 74 controlled thereby operate needles "(0 ot the inner bank infharmony vwith those ott/the outerV bank. By this means corresponding needlesv ot the tiro banksV are moved into operative position successively. 'In lli 3, one of the needles @"0 is shown. in operative lrelation with the knitting cam 90.

It will be understood that, it desirechtivo or more needles at a; time mav be moved .into operative position; or any other desired progressive actuation of the needles may be cliected.

After the conclusion ot thatpart ot ,the knitting which produces a cylindricaliveb of `wide diameter is completed. itis necessary in ring'` back to its original This is effected in the l'ollowing position.

Way:

, A. lug. on the pattern chain 34E swings holding pawl; ratchet 43. At the same time a lug on the padcternV chain 33 swings the actuating paivl il out-,ot operative position. Thereupon a spring secured at one end to an axial pinfflft on the 'end of shatter-i which the paivl and secured.' at the other Yend to cam ring 65,'immediately. returns-thc latter' to its orio'inal positions stop 47 on the cam ring engaging' the paw'l 42 Vand preventthe cam ringbeyond its ,iinal position. OntheV next turnr of the pattern Wheel shaft; the lugs on the pat- Vchains 34- and 3?) ride rom'unclerA the p ..is -l-Q and --l. which thenr again moveinto the position shown in Fig.. d.

lllhile l have described the machine as one Vin .which .the iashioning is effected by a succes-sivelyinoving into action needles, to producea gradual `widen-in'g, as distinguished y'l'lO/Il Coli'lmencing with the knitting of aweb 'lihis advance of .the cam` outside,

the 42 out o'tengagement with. theV ol large diameter and the successive movement of the needles out of action, bot-hof which methods of knitting or modes of operation are known in the art, it should be understood that it is not intended in the claims to limit them to the specilic mode ot' operation described or to exclude equivalent modes'of operation.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim anddesire to protect by Letters Patent is: f

l. ln a .knitting machine, the combination With'astationary outer bank ot needles and a stationary inner bank ot needles, both arranged arcuately with respect to a center, ot two needle actuating knitting rings rotatable about said'center in opposite directions and cams carried thereby adapted to respectively aetuate the needles of the two` banks, said camsA being soV positioned that lthe needles ot the tivo banks are actuatedv thereby successively, pattern mechanism, n and means operable by the cam ring and controlled by the pattern mechanism toxsuccessively move into action adjacent needles of one ot the banks of needles.

2. In a knitting machine, the combination with a stationary outer ,bank of needlesan'd a stationary inner bank ot needles, the two banks ot needles extending in Yplanes. angular to the horizontal and to the verticaland converging toward a common circumference, one'of said banksot lneedles lying inside, and the other of said banks of needles. lying said common circumference of tvv'o lneedle actuatingy knittingJ cams rotatable vin opposite directions` respectively Within and lwithout said circumference and adapted t0 .actuate the needles of the respective banks.

3. Vln.v a circular knitting machine, ther i combination with a seriesy of double banks of needles arranged circumterentially and spaced apart, 'each double bank comprising Va series of outer needles and a series ot inner needles, ottwo cam cylinders rotatable-'in opposite directions concentrical-ly with the needles, and' a. series of needle actuating knitting cams carried .by each cam cylinder,Y

the series or' needle actuatingV cams Vcorrespondng in number tothe series of double vbanksof needles, each. cam of one cylinder being adapted,gl in the-rotation of its cylinder, to .successively `actuate the severalouter Y of I needles arranged circumt'er'entially "and f spaced apart,.each double bank. comprising laseries oli/outer needlesV andai-series of inner. needles, ot two cam cylinders rotatable in opposite directions concentrically i with the needles, and a series of needle actuiso Y `successively actuate the several outer banks of needles and each cam ofthe other cylinating knittingcains' carried by each. cam` cylinder, each cain of one cylinder being adapted, in the rotation of its cylinder, to

der being adapted, in the rotation oits cylinder, to successively actuate the several inner banks of needles, said cams being so positioned that tlie two banks of needles 'of each double bank are actuated successively. 5. In a circular knitting machine,v the combination with a series of double banks of needlesarranged circumferentially and spaced apart, each double bank comprising a series of outer needles, Vand a Vseries of with the needles, and a seriesof needle actuating knitting cams carried lby each cam cylinder, each cam of onercylinder being adapted, in therotation of its cylinder,;to

successively actuate the several outer banks of needles and each cam of the other cylin-v Vderv 'being adapted, fin theY rotationof its: cylinder, toy successively actuate the several inner rbanks of needles, said cains 'being so positioned that the two banks of needles `of each double bankv are actuated successively, and means to simultaneously move into operative relation with its knitting cams successively move g in to voperative relation vWith its knittingcams a number of tneedles of each of'said banks.

lnftestiifnony of which invention,'?I have` hereunto set my hand, at Wilmington,.Del., f

on this 21st dayof Nov-.,"l924-V Y FREDERICKL; FAY,

ys0 va needle of eachbank of needles `operable by the same set of knitting cams .and to 

